Former national basketball rep Valerie Nainima believes Fiji has what it takes to win the 2014 FIBA Oceania Under-19 Basketball Championships. The University of South Carolina graduate shared her take on how Fiji can win the event to be hosted in Fiji later this year.
“I think right now with the young talent that we have in the country they need to focus on the basics a lot,” Nainima said. “There are a lot of YouTube videos out there showing all these different skills and everyone’s trying to be fancy but the basics are missing. “I think they need to focus on that because athletically Fijians are built really well. Athletically we have it, but we just need to do the basics and everything will be fine.
“Please support Basketball Fiji for the Under-19. I think we have a great, young group of people coming up and I’m looking forward to the future and if I’m free during my stint as a coach, I will want to coach the national team. But I love the talent and I want to give back to Fiji.”
Nainima, who recently wrapped up a three-season stint with top German franchise Oberhausen with a silver medal finish after her side lost to Wasserburg in the DBBL final in May, will embark on a new coaching post in the United States.
“I have taken up a position to be the assistant coach at Fordham University in New York as video co-ordinator assistant. Basically I watch the game and analyse then give the coaches and the players’ feedback.”
The Ra lass believes development of the youths was something she had learned from her time in Germany. “I think developing the young people because the team that I played for in Germany had a lot of young players and I actually coached the young team,”Nainima said. “So it was something where they had the professional players coach the young teams and I just wanted to come back and help out with the young people.”
The 2009 Sportswoman of the Year recipient expressed her desire to play for Fiji at the 2015 Pacific Games, having last donned the Fiji colours in 2009.
“Yes. That is my next goal. I’m pretty excited about that actually because I think the last time I played for Fiji was 2009,”she said. “I wasn’t free for so many years and I’m hoping to be free.”
The 28-year-old advised young people to be open to all new learning experiences and put their trust in God. “Trust in God. I know it sounds really cliché but honestly, from my personal journey, that’s what has helped this long and also to listen and be a sponge,” Nainima said. “Learn as much as you can from everybody and don’t try to act like you know everything because you don’t.”

Source: The Fiji Sun Newspaper

Saturday 21st June 2014